Tempest
by iron-x-script
Summary: On an island off the coast of Ireland, danger lurks in the ocean. An ancient magic comes alive when the storm hits, but not everything is as it seems on the surface, sometimes you have to dive deeper to uncover the truth.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi all! I've gone for something a little different with this fic. I've drawn inspiration from Maggie Stiefvater's "The Scorpio Races" and some old legends about Kelpies to concoct a new story of Gajeel and Levy and an encounter with mythical magic.**

 **I've combined kelpies and capaill uisce in this story.. capaill uisce meaning water horse in Irish.  
Capaill is plural, capall is singular, it's pronounced copple ish-ka.**

 _ **Let me know what you think! Enjoy~**_

* * *

 **Chapter One**

The waves crashed against the cliffs with a thunderous roar as the wind howled and the trees groaned as they attempted to withstand the storm. Rain fell in heavy sheets, making it almost impossible to see, were it not for the bright lightning that ripped across the sky, followed promptly by yet another thunderous boom.

No one stirred in the town; shutters were down, lights were extinguished and doors were firmly shut. Not many would dare to leave their homes on this night, and not because of the adverse weather, no, but what such weather could bring.

A small, young woman stood alone on the cliffs, swaying slightly as the wind ripped at her dark cloak and unique blue hair. The rain pelted her but she did not appear to care, her intense gaze was fixed only on the rough sea.

The waves rose higher as the sea grew ever more restless. The white foam that crested the waves grew larger and a new roar was added to the clamour of the storm.

 _They were coming._

Levy gathered her cloak around her and shielding her face with a small hand, she moved nearer to the edge of the great cliff, her eyes never leaving the tumultuous sea. Lightning flashed and thunder boomed once more, this time an unearthly scream answered. As the wave rose higher, a shape began to take form. Two hooves extended outwards and the wave began to solidify into a long, bony face. The shape threw back its head, sea foam flying back in the appearance of a mane and let out an ear splitting screech.

Levy's heart began to pound as she watched in awe and admiration as more waves took on their true forms. Kelpies some called them, but her people referred to them as the capaill uisce. They were magnificent beasts from the sea that took on the form of horses, though it was said they had another form, a human-like form. They were fearsome creatures, as wild and untameable as the sea herself, it was said their only goal was to drown anyone foolish enough to get close. Many had lost their lives to the great beasts, fishermen caught unaware by their sharp, deadly teeth or innocent islanders who dared to brave the beach in a storm. They say the capaill uisce have a thirst for blood that cannot be quenched and Levy McGarden believed them.

She could not, however, suppress her absolute fascination with these impeccable creatures, and so here she stood in the midst of a storm, exhilaration thrumming through her veins, watching as they reared and screeched and threw themselves at the rocky cliff below, before disappearing beneath the waves once more. Some horses came ashore, to race among the surf, white, blue or black tails and manes streaming behind them as their hooves pounded the sand. They raced together, jaws snapping in a deadly game.

Levy was breathless as she watched, as if she too were running with the great beasts. Lightning illuminated the beach again and silver flashed all around as it glinted off the horse's bridles. An old legend said if you could manage to take a capall uisce's bridle; it could not return to the ocean and would therefore be enslaved to the one who took it. Many would never be foolish enough to try such a thing, but there were a few, a desperate few who would long for a horse of such power that would fetch a high price on the market despite the danger it would pose. Such a horse could ensure a family's survival in such a poverty stricken time. After all, desperate times call for desperate measures.

A large black stallion suddenly stopped, hooves digging deep grooves into the wet sand. The others cantered by, snapping their teeth at him as they passed, but his gaze was firmly locked on a point further up the beach. Levy followed the stallion's stare and spotted what had grasped his attention.

A small gasp escaped her, a person was running down the beach, stumbling on the soft sand in his haste. Long dark hair was pasted to his skin with the rain, despite the wind's best efforts to move it. He appeared to be a large man, tall with tan skin, but she could make out little else due to the torrential rain.

The dark horse on the beach suddenly tossed its head and whinnied. Several horses nearby briefly paused to look upon the approaching man but quickly lost interest, one dark blue water horse however, began galloping through the surf to where the black one stood, she too tossed her mane and let out an ethereal whinny that had the hairs raising on Levy's neck.

Her heart seized in fear, fear for the capaill uisce. There was only one reason men came down to the beach on a night like this.

"No," she whispered. She had seen it once, a capall uisce being captured and it was something she wished to never see again. She could still hear its desperate screams as it kicked and snapped at its numerous captors who held the ropes that cruelly bound its neck and legs. Other capaill uisce had screamed their fury over the howling winds but none dared to come nearer.

Levy had recognised one man, though she had seen him only once or twice. Ivan Dreyar, a rich man who owned a fancy stables on the wealthy side of the small town, a man who demanded respect and assumed authority over the island. He was a man not to be trusted and one who couldn't care less about the poverty stricken people of the island. Evidently regular horses no longer sated his hunger for money and power and so he turned his attention to the capaill uisce.

She had never seen or heard what had become of the capall uisce he had caught on that awful night. She had watched from her cliff in horror, powerless to stop it, and when Ivan had lifted a knife to the shimmering silver bridle, prominent against the stallion's jet black coat, she had run. She was a coward, she knew that, she should have done something, anything. She would not allow it to happen again though, she would not make the same mistake twice.

She could see light from lanterns approaching in the distance, no doubt the foolish young man's backup. If she could just distract him, perhaps the horses could get away.

"Hey!" She screamed, but her small voice was carried away on the fierce wind.

The man was so close now to the two capaill uisce standing in the surf, Levy cursed his bravery and stupidity, he didn't even have a weapon or rope. She wordlessly urged the horses to return to the sea, wringing her hands with anxiety. The dark blue mare suddenly began to step towards him and Levy could not stop her jaw from falling; she had never seen a water horse behave in such a manner before. She was not displaying any signs of aggression, in fact her ears were pricked and she almost seemed… happy? The man however moved purposefully, and Levy could not help but doubt his intentions.

Cupping her hands around her mouth she put all the power she could into her voice and yelled again, praying to the gods that he would hear.

He looked up as lightning flashed and everything seemed to stop. She no longer heard the crashing of the waves or the roar of the thunder; she was lost in his piercing gaze. His eyes were a blood red, though she had only seen them for a moment, she was almost certain. But she had to have imagined it, it wasn't possible, was it? He looked away from her as the two capaill uisce approached, releasing her from her stupor.

The black stallion abruptly stopped before the man, ears pricked towards the top of the beach. Almost instantaneously, his ears snapped back to lie flat against his head and his lips drew back, exposing his pointed teeth. The man whirled around, and Levy thought she could make out a rather panicked expression. The men were closer now, about a dozen of them carrying lanterns, spears and ropes.

Without warning the dark haired man sprang into action, he leapt for the dark blue horse and Levy could not help the cry that sprung from her lips. The mare merely snapped lightly at him and butted her great head into his chest, he pushed her off, and began pushing her towards the ocean. It looked as though he was yelling but Levy couldn't make out his words.

The black stallion abruptly nipped at her rump in an attempt to make her move, snarling at her but she refused to budge.

Levy watched in utter disbelief, _why were they not attempting to kill this man and why was he not trying to capture her or the stallion?_ The men were almost upon them, spears pointed and voices raised as they attempted to shout over the cacophony of the storm. The strange man began howling in frustration as he pushed at the dark blue capall uisce, the black stallion too began shrieking at the mare.

Just as the men were almost upon them, she found her senses and leapt into the waves, swimming out alongside the black stallion. The man sank to his knees in the surf just as the others reached him. Surrounding him, they pointed their spears threateningly at him, yelling what Levy could only presume was abuse. One particularly large man, who could only be Ivan Dreyar, spun the spear in his hand and with no hesitation, struck the man across the face with the blunt end. As he collapsed in the surf the capaill uisce screamed furiously.

Levy covered her mouth to prevent the scream that almost escaped her too, tears streamed down her face and fear clutched her heart.

As they dragged him up the beach, Levy looked on in horror and shock, but he did not look up at her again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi all! So here's chapter two, thank you for your lovely reviews, they always make me so happy :)  
**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter too~ (bonus points if you spot the reference to a great ship ;D)**

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

Levy clutched her forehead, her eyes squeezed shut as she leaned over the counter of her desk. Her headache from this morning had not eased at all. Too many thoughts crowded her mind; _Who was that strange man? What on earth had she witnessed last night? What could she even do about it?_

Anxiety hounded her, and not even her books could distract her today. She cast an eye around her quiet, old library, a place that usually offered comfort, but not today, not after last night. She had stumbled home in shock, the mysterious man's intense gaze imprinted on her mind even long after they had dragged him away. Guilt warred within her too, should she have done something? But what could one person do against a group of armed men? Particularly Ivan's men.

She groaned again as her head throbbed. She should just go home, it's not like the place was busy anyway. She gathered her satchel in her arms and flicked the light switch as she headed towards the door. She stepped out onto the busy street, locking the door behind her and made her way towards the main square, massaging her temples as she went.

Sand bags lay strewn about the paths after the terrible storm of the previous night so many people had gathered to clear them up. "Morning Max," Levy called as she passed a sandy haired man, clearing debris away with the brush he never seemed to part with. He lifted a hand in greeting, smiling warmly, "Morning Levy."

Shouts and chatter of the townspeople filled the air as Levy continued on and her headache slowly began to ease.

The crowd began to thicken quite suddenly as she neared the square at the centre of town. She sighed and tried to rack her brain as to what could cause such a commotion. Coming up blank and unable to resist her curious nature, she pushed her way into the mass of the crowd.

The source of the bustle was immediately apparent, there was a large pen set up which held 4 horses ready for auction which meant the horse traders were here. A large podium was set up to the left of the pen where Ivan would surely stand and attempt to attain the most unreasonable price for the animals. Levy's stomach twisted, he was just about the last person she wanted to see. Images of him standing before that strange man flashed through her mind, the blunt end of the spear raised, the sheer malice that dominated his expression and the crack she imagined she had heard as he ruthlessly struck the man.

Bile rose in her throat, she couldn't stay here. She lurched forward, clutching her bag, in an attempt to escape the throng of people. She spotted an opening in the crowd near another wooden pen she hadn't spotted before. One horse stood alone in the centre of the makeshift paddock, nostrils flaring with its ears flat back against its skull. She pushed towards it, the crowd was much thinner here and a large gap extended between the people and the animal.

Levy's brows creased, this was strange. She reached the pen just as Ivan's voice rang out over the town's announcement system, but her attention was solely on the horse. His sides heaved and his eyes rolled as he impatiently kicked the ground. The stallion was much larger than any horse she'd ever seen and his muscles rippled beneath his midnight black coat as he stepped towards Levy.

The stallion reminded her of something; she just couldn't quite put her finger on it. He stepped closer again, his lips curling back to reveal slightly pointed teeth. Levy gasped as the realisation hit her, this was not a regular horse and the jet black coat and shining black mane matched that of the capall uisce she'd seen captured on the beach all that time ago.

The realisation rooted her to the spot, " _so this is what has become of you,_ " she thought, just as he reached the fence. Without so much as a warning he suddenly leapt forward, his sharp teeth ready to clamp down on the arm she flung up in petty defence. However instead of feeling the painful bite of his teeth, she felt herself falling as she was tugged harshly to the side. She collided with a solid chest as a small cry escaped her. Strong arms encased her and turned her away from the rearing, screaming horse. The sounds sent shivers racing through her body. The arms around her released her and a gruffly murmured _"idiot"_ brought her attention back to the person before her. She looked up just as he turned his back.

"Hey wait," she called, throwing out a hand to capture his wrist. He turned, glaring at the small girl that contrasted so sharply with his own great height.

"Thank-," a small gasp escaped her, "it's you!" she breathed, her eyes widening as she took in his unruly black hair and captivating red eyes. His eyes widened slightly in recognition before his expression reverted to that of disinterest. She noticed small round studs that pierced his brows, nose and chin, something she had not been able to make out from her cliff the night before.

She could not help but stare at the odd man now that she could see him close up. She noticed a large bruise was beginning to form on the side of his prominent cheekbone, blackening his tan skin. She grimaced at the sight and oddly found herself reaching up to touch it. He growled something incoherent at her and pulled his wrist abruptly from her grip.

She snatched back her wandering hand, curling her fist, a light blush now dusting her cheeks. She watched his retreating back as he made his way to the unsettled horse. He jumped the fence easily and Levy watched in stunned surprise as he approached the horse calmly. The stallion reared again and Levy's hand flew to her mouth, _he was going to be killed._

The stranger reached into a small pouch at the side of his belt and held up his hands in a calming gesture. The stallion continued to toss its head, snorting as his eyes continued to roll. The man reached out, taking hold of the horse's mane and began to rub what had been in the pouch on the horses face, down towards his nostrils. Levy watched in wonder, it looked like salt?

The horse instantly relaxed at his touch. The man whispered something in the horse's ear before stepping back and Levy watched in awe as the horse made its way to the far corner of the temporary pen.

"How did you do that?" she found herself asking, her voice tinged with admiration.

He merely scowled at her in return, irritation plain on his face as he came back towards her.

"I'm Levy," she tried again, offering her hand to the large man.

He took it grudgingly, "Gajeel."

"Gajeel," she repeated, as if testing the name on her tongue. "It's nice to meet you."

He grunted at her again.

"I've never seen capaill uisce behave in such a way with people, I-" she cut off suddenly, noticing the man before her was no longer even looking at her. He sidestepped her neatly and left Levy behind him, gaping at his rudeness.

Just as she was about to voice her thoughts on his behaviour, she noticed another man beckoning to Gajeel. She noticed the tension in Gajeel's shoulders as he approached the other tall, thin man. Levy followed quietly, pretending to take an interest in the auction.

"Prepare that beast, boss wants him up next," the man ordered, _one of Ivan's_ , Levy presumed.

"You can't sell him. No one can manage that, -that _thing_!" Gajeel growled.

"Actually, we can, and you better keep him calm. I don't think I need to remind you what will happen if you don't," he replied, smiling menacingly.

"Someone's going to get hurt," Gajeel practically spat.

"You know, Gajeel, you're not exactly in a position to be arguing with us. Get him ready, you know what's at stake," a smug smile now firmly in place, the man took his leave.

Gajeel turned suddenly and slammed a fist into the wooden fence of the pen, his eyes glowing with barely restrained frustration.

Levy jumped reflexively and unintentionally drew the large man's eye. "You again," he grumbled, running a thumb over his now injured knuckle.

"Sorry, I-I didn't mean, I-," she began, cursing inwardly at her sudden inability to structure a sentence.

"Save it."

"I saw you last night, during-during the storm. What were you doing?" Levy asked, marvelling at her own boldness.

"None of your damn business, and what the hell were you doing anyway?" he demanded, a sliver of interest creeping into his tone.

"I like to watch them," she replied simply.

He snorted at her, "stay away from them, trust me, they'd prefer that."

"Well they seemed to like you."

A muscle in his jaw worked but he did not answer.

"You-you can't let them sell that horse, he's one of them, you know?" she babbled and consequently resisted the urge to smack herself on the forehead, _what the hell was she doing, of course he'd know that!_

"He's not," he replied. "Believe me, he's _much_ worse," and with that he strode away and vaulted himself over the fence once more, leaving Levy to look after him in confusion.

* * *

Levy pushed her way to the front of the gathered crowd as Gajeel led the black stallion up to the podium where Ivan stood. One hand was firmly placed on his withers as he whispered to him. The stallion's ears were flat against his skull once again and he stamped and snorted repeatedly.

"Now, is this not the finest horse you've ever laid eyes on," Ivan began, calling out to the crowd, a forced smile pulling at his mouth. "A perfect horse and if you could just see him run, this stallion's speed would take your breath away. Shall we start the bidding at a mere 5,000?"

"6!" a man called from behind Levy.

"7," another yelled, this time to Levy's left, Levy turned as his wife inhaled sharply. "Seán we can't manage that beast! He's positively wild, what of the children?" she hissed at him, clutching his arm.

"What of them? This horse could bring in a lot of money for us," he snapped before yelling "9" in response to the next bidder.

"We can't afford that! Please, we could barely afford five thousand!" she cried

Levy winced at the anguish in her tone. A capall uisce such as this could destroy their home, if it went home with any of these people, they would surely be killed.

Anger flashed through her, how could Ivan do this? He was condemning these people.

"Going once," Ivan shouted.

Levy could not allow this to happen, no one knew what the stallion truly was, she had allowed this capall uisce to be taken on the beach, she couldn't stand by and do nothing again. _"Levy, you barely even have the money_ ," she hissed to herself. All she had was what was left of the money her parents had left her after they died long ago. But perhaps she could merely buy him and set him free, return him to the ocean…

Levy took a deep breath, her hands curling into fists, "10 thousand," she shouted.

The couple beside her snapped their heads to look at her in shock, the woman looked hopeful but the man looked furious.

"10,500," he cried.

"11,"Levy stated.

The man looked taken aback, "11 and a half."

"12." Levy would not allow anyone to die.

"13!" he cried, "Seán please!" his wife begged.

"14."

The man merely snarled at her, before pulling his wife away.

"Going once," Ivan began, the stallion stamped again, jerking his head away from Gajeel.

Levy turned to look and made eye contact with Gajeel who was looking at her with a mixture of confusion and anger in his bright red eyes. He turned back to the stallion again and traced something along a vein on the horse's neck.

"Going twice," Ivan said, a tinge of irritation contaminating his tone.

The crowd remained silent and finally after an extremely long pause, the words came that Levy found herself dreading.

 _ **"Sold."**_


End file.
